I won’t post too much about my Olympic rodeo experience, since I got a lot of the color I would want to post here into the story that ran today. (At least I hope – I haven’t seen the final version yet.) It was a very interesting contrast in styles on two fronts: first, the rodeo fans inside the arena versus the animal rights protesters chanting, “Hell, no, we won’t go, to Mitt Romney’s rodeo” and “1-2-3-4, rodeo is not a sport” outside; and second, the rodeo fans versus the dressage equestrian demonstration Mitt put on inside. (Read the tail end of the story to get an idea what I’m talking about.)

I’m not sure if Mitt wanted to show his allegiance to all things horse or what, but it didn’t strike me as a brilliant public relations move. These fans were ready to worship Mitt Romney like a god – he’d saved Olympic rodeo, if only for the Salt Lake Games – but instead there was this weird class warfare vibe going on in the arena as Mitt reminded them that this god-awful boring sport he was demonstrating was worthy of full, medal-awarding Olympic status but rodeo was not.

As an aside, the announcer at the rodeo was great. I’ve never heard a better riff on U.S.-Canada relations. “It’s a neutral border! It’s a neutral border! They tend the same cattle we do! They ride the same horses we do! Canada and the United States ride together!” Almost brought a NAFTA tear to my eye.

12 February 2002

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